The invention relates generally to linearization systems and methods and more particularly to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) linearization systems and methods.
In magnetic resonance imaging, a chain of radio frequency (RF) components is typically used to condition analog waveforms received by coils in the imaging volume for digitization by an analog-to-digital converter. The chain of RF components typically includes amplifiers, attenuators, mixers, cables, electrical-to-optical modulators, optical-to-electrical receivers, and optical transmission structures such as fibers. Some of these components have non-linear responses which distort the signals. In particular, when optical systems include electrical-to-optical modulators, the modulators are a significant contributor to nonlinearization. Conventional approaches to minimizing nonlinearization in magnetic resonance imaging machines rely on careful design and selection of components, particularly variable gain and attenuation components.
It would therefore be desirable to have a linearization compensation system and method which do not have the design constraints of conventional techniques.